MasterChef returned to our screens tonight as another batch of home cooks attempted to follow in the footsteps of inaugural winner Whitney Miller (who won a cookbook publishing deal and $250,000 last year) and impress Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot.

Thousands applied for the second season but just 100 amateur cooks were invited to present their signature dishes to the judges. They had one hour to prepare the dish and then five minutes to plate it for the panel. They needed to receive two yeses from the three judges to advance to the next round.

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Among those who received an apron was former beauty queen Jennifer who got two out of three votes for her coconut curry lentil soup. Although Gordon immediately recognized that she had never been to India because she included carrots, both he and Graham gave her a second chance because of the "delicious" shrimps, the fact she knew the steps to make her own curry from scratch, and her passion.

Heavy equipment operator and truck driver Albert, who is seeking financial stability following the devastation of Katrina, also impressed with his Jambalaya with alligator and sausage - after first showing the judges the tattoo on his rear. Joe admitted that it was his first time eating reptile and he loved the "soulful, complex layers and flavor".

Classical musician Monica, who admitted to being her own worst critic, served up a traditional Korean dish called Bibimbap, which mixed vegetables, rice and fried egg. All three judges gave a "resounding yes" to the food, and later agreed that the bar had been raised among the cooks this season.

Sales worker Tracy seemed to make a fatal mistake in her presentation when she drizzled white truffle oil over her egg with wild mushroom risotto cake. Gordon immediately said that it demonstrated she didn't know what she was doing, warning: "I think you have just put your apron up in flames." However, despite all three judges agreeing that the strong flavor of the oil affected the dish, Graham and Joe decided to give her a second chance.

Scottish cook Pauline immediately bonded with Gordon because of their shared homeland, before serving Scottish salmon and haggis en croute. "Chef Ramsay, it defies belief that you are touching my food!" said Pauline. Joe, who was eating haggis for the first time, said that although he loved Pauline's personality, accent and quirky apron, he wasn't a fan of the dish. Gordon and Graham, however, both liked it. "The dish makes me feel homesick," said Gordon.

The final cook to secure an apron was stay-at-home dad Christian, who revealed that he turned his life around after hitting rock bottom when his son was very young and wants to now follow his dream of cooking. He served "Ship Wreck Stew" with lobster, shrimp and assorted shellfish. "That dish is more confident than you are," said Joe. "It's the kind of dish that wins competitions like this one."

Among those who missed out on aprons was a man who served his sushi on a naked woman's body and firefighter Mike. The latter burned his pan seared, breaded halibut with risotto and Newberg sauce, although Gordon promised that he would guarantee Mike a place next season if he continued to cook and improve his technique over the next 12 months.

MasterChef continues its two-night premiere Tuesday, June 7 at 8/7c

Watch a video of the MasterChef judges discussing what contestants try to get away with on the show below (US only):